Beaten Not Broken
by Aerilon452
Summary: Uma is back on the Isle. Harry is with her on the beach, knowing he has to do something to break her out of the depression she's falling in to. ONE SHOT. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**SUMMARY:** Harry doesn't know how to lift Uma's spirits

 **DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing of Descendants.

 **RATING:** T

 **PAIRING:** Harry/Uma

 **BEATEN NOT BROKEN:**

Harry kept his eyes on Uma as she sat on the beach, tossing shells into the crashing waves. She had been despondent for days after being brought back to the Isle but the King's guards. He didn't know what to do, and it was killing him. They were the only two on the beach, no need for them to keep of the pretense of Captain and First Mate. Harry went to her, taking a seat on the sand. "You wanna talk to me?" he asked, his accent thick with concern.

Uma pursed her lips as her hand closed around the shell in her hand. The edges bit in her palm, and she was sure she'd drawn blood. "I… failed…" she choked out. Angrily, she tossed the blood soaked shell to the sand in front of her feet. Then she looked at her palm, and sure enough, there was blood. Harry saw it too. He took her hand, wrapping one of his scarves around the wound to staunch the blood. Tears welled up in her eyes, and she hated it.

"Look at me, Uma," Harry said, touching her chin, and turning her face so she would look at him. "You didn't fail. They heard you…" He had been hearing reports from his Wharf Rat's that several kids were being offered a place in Auradon. Kids who had a real chance of escaping this life, of having a future. For their crew, he and Uma had to be heartless, hard, and larger than life. When they were alone, they were just scared kids trying to get away from demeaning, abusive parents. The privileged preps in Auradon had no idea what it truly meant to live in fear.

Uma rested her head against Harry's shoulder, her injured hand resting palm up on his thigh. His arm wrapped around her back, holding her closer to his side. She wasn't going to cry. She refused to let the tears fall, but she wasn't in control. The tears fell, leaving streaks down her cheeks. "But… we're still stuck here," Uma lamented. "If I had done what I set out to do, then you and I would be out on the ocean, sailing away from this Isle, and never coming back."

Harry knew what he had to do. He gathered her close, rising to his feet. The shock of the movement had Uma throwing her arms around his shoulders. She even buried her face against the crook of his neck. Harry knew she didn't want anyone to see her cry. Even when she'd been little, hurt over the cruelty Mal visited upon her; she never let anyone see her cry. Not even him. And he was closer to her than any living soul on the Isle. Harry carried Uma out into the surf, wading in until the water was waist high on him.

Uma tightened her hold on Harry, grateful for what he was doing. When she was overly emotional, the cool ocean water always helped to soothe her. She pulled her head back, looking at his beautiful face. Uma knew he was trying to help her, to make her feel better. She feared it wouldn't work this time. They were still trapped on the Isle. After the cotillion, guards had found her, captured her, and returned her to this cursed rock. The only reason she hadn't lost her mind; Harry had been waiting for her.

Harry waded out further, so they could be sway back and forth with the incoming tide. He shifted her to get her to wrap her legs around his waist. She did so without complaint, and without a smile. He could see she was falling deeper into despair. This time Harry buried his face in the crook her of her neck, nuzzling lightly. He would hold her until she told him to let her go.

Uma threaded her fingers into Harry's hair, holding tightly to him. Instinct had her closing her eyes, and holding her breath when the wave crashed into them. She couldn't shake this depression, and it was hurting him to see her like this. They had been a source of strength and motivation for each other. It was different this time. She could have kept on fighting Mal until one of them won, but now, she wasn't so sure that it would have been her. If she had lost, she would have come back to Harry an even bigger failure than she already was. She kept coming back to that. She failed.

Harry angled his head, placing his lips to Uma's pulse, feeling the beat of it against his sensitive flesh. She tasted of the sea they longed to escape to. "Uma, you are not a failure," he said, sensing where her thoughts had taken her. Harry noticed a wave coming towards them. He moved with it, so the swell crashed into his back.

"But we're still trapped behind this barrier. How does that not make me a failure?" Uma asked, sighing heavily.

"They could have imprisoned you for real," Harry pointed out. "The minute the guards caught you, they didn't have to bring you back here. You're lucky you didn't end up in a deep, dark dungeon." Harry would have lost his mind had she been taken away from him. He would have tried to tear down the barrier with his bare hands just to get her back.

"Or they could have killed me," Uma breathed out. She was the child of a villain. To those in Auradon, she wasn't even considered a human.

"Then I would have gone to war to avenge you," Harry stated. The minute he said that, he saw a fire spark in her eyes. It seemed to break her out of her melancholy. Uma kissed him just as a wave crashed into them.

Uma broke the kiss, "Let's go home."

Harry nodded, carrying her out of the water, and towards the beach house they called home.

 **THAT NIGHT:**

Harry stood on the porch of the little run down, beach bungalow he and Uma lived in. When she wasn't working at her mom's restaurant, she wanted to be as far from the wharf town as possible. They actually had rebuilt this hide away together from deck planking belonging to a derelict ship crashed on the rocks near the docks. The bungalow wasn't big, just two rooms. In one there was a big bed. In the other a couch and a TV that barely worked, but it was home to them. They needed to be close to the ocean, to hear the waves as they fell asleep. And being the children of villain's, they learned how to do things for themselves.

Uma shifted under the sheets, rolling over to find Harry gone. Opening her eyes, she saw him on the back porch; the sliding glass door was open letting in the cool night air. Harry was in a simple pair of baggy black sleep pants, and no shirt. She was wearing the matching shirt. It was a bit big on her, and that made it comfortable to sleep in. She got up and went to him, slipping her arms around his waist. "Thank you…"

"I hate to see you hurting," Harry replied. He turned, draping his right arm across her shoulders. He took one of her braids between his fingers, rubbing it back and forth.

"You're the only one who can make it better," Uma reminded him. Harry had been her rock since they were kids. It was them against the VK's when they were little. Now, it was them against the world.

"Because I know you better than anyone," Harry replied as he smirked. Lovingly, he kissed the top of her head.

"Yeah, you do," Uma nodded, a smile finally coming to her face.

Harry tensed when he looked up the dark beach. A fire had been started, and a man plopped down, tipping a bottle back. Without getting closer, he knew it was his father, Captain Hook. Shame filled him at the sight. Fear wasn't far behind that.

Uma sensed the shift in Harry, and like he was, she looked up the beach leading away from their haven. She knew the shadow of the legendary Captain when she saw it, even as weathered as it was. "Is he drinking again?" Uma asked silently.

Harry scoffed, "Again? That would imply he ever stopped." When Captain Hook had been banished here, with all the other villain's, he disappeared into a bottle. Harry had learned at a very young age to fend for himself. Uma's mother at least attempted to take care of her. Harry's father never bothered. Gil was the only one of their little trio that didn't have a terrible home life. It boggled the mind some times. Gaston took care of his son, and made sure he survived any way he could.

Uma pushed away from him, "You told me he stopped." It never occurred to her that Harry would lie to her about something like that. Not when they told each other everything.

"I had to," Harry said, deflated. "You were planning your revenge against Mal. You needed me, needed my head in the game."

"Harry, your father drinking, that effects both of us." Uma pointed at him down the beach. This was the closest Hook had come to them in months. The last time the infamous Captain had caused a scene, Ursula had put a stop to it. Not for them. Hook had been irritating her.

Harry cupped Uma's face, his thumbs rubbing back and forth. There was nothing he could say to her, because she was right. Hook was deadly when his wits were intact. Inebriated, he was unpredictably violent. And Harry was always his first victim. When his father was around, Harry was that scared five year hold, covering his hears, trying to tune out his father's drunken rages.

Uma turned her face, kissing the palm of his right hand. "Ok, let's go back inside, keep the lights off, and hope he ignores us." Taking his hands from her face, she pulled him back into the bedroom, and closed the sliding glass door. Before going back to the bed, Uma retrieved her sword from the living room. Unlike Harry, she didn't have a lifetime of fear built. She would defend him if Hook tried anything.

Harry put himself as far from the porch door as he could. He brought the sheets up and over him, waiting for Uma. Finally, she appeared sword in hand, and crawled into the bed with him. She placed her back to his chest, letting him spoon up against her while she watched, and waited. "You're the best," Harry said, kissing the back of her shoulder.

"What's my name?" Uma asked with a smirk.

"Uma…" Harry chuckled. He snuggled closer to her, and then closed his eyes.

Uma held her arm out across the bed, her hand gripping the hilt of her cutlass. Harry had watched out for her many times during the night. This time she could protect him from one of his monsters while he slept.

 **THE END**


	2. Chapter 2

**SUMMARY:** Harry doesn't know how to lift Uma's spirits

 **DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing of Descendants.

 **RATING:** T

 **PAIRING:** Harry/Uma

 **A/N:** I know I said this was a one shot, but this follow up chapter demanded to be written.

 **BEATEN NOT BROKEN:**

It had been a couple of weeks since Uma and Harry had been on the beach, and things had gotten back to some semblance of the rotten normal she was used to. She was back working at her mom's dockside diner, getting irritated with the cliental, as well as having to listen to Gil call her 'Shrimpy'. He didn't do it to be cruel. Gil did it because he was generally a moron, but he was her kind of moron. A loyal one. She wouldn't trade him, or Harry, for anything; not even a way off the Isle. Whether she liked it or not, this was her home.

Uma shook her head, setting aside that train of thought. It would bring her nothing but pain, and risk triggering another depressive episode. She wasn't going to put herself in that position, if she could help it. Harry had been gone for days, and she assumed it was because of his father. She missed him. She missed his smile, his laugh, and the way he looked at her when he was happy.

"UMA!"

The swinging doors crashed open, grabbing Uma's attention. It was Gil, frantic, and out of breath. She dropped her rag, ripped off her apron to go to him. "Hey! What's the matter?" she asked gripping his shoulders.

"It's Harry! Hook has him!" Gil shouted. After what he had just seen, he knew the first person he had to go to was Uma. She would want to get her pound of flesh out of the deadly Captain for this.

Uma let go of Gil as her ire rose. She balled her hands into fists; her nails biting into her palms. Then to Gil she said, "You'll take me to him."

Gill nodded.

Uma rushed for the saloon style swinging doors, grabbing her sword on the way out. Gill was behind her, but he quickly slipped in front of her, running down the docks, and led her into the town. Through side streets, and ally's, she followed him. Each step had her mind racing with new and horrific things Captain Hook could be doing to his son. Her heart broke.

Gil kept looking back to make sure Uma was keeping pace with him. He was worried about Harry, and what could happen should they not get back to him in time. It made Gil move faster, until he skidded to a halt, Uma colliding into his back. He stepped out of the way, hiding behind one of the support beams. "He's in there…" Gil pointed to the sign that read Crocodile Clock Saloon. It had a picture of a croc with a clock in its jaw.

Uma drew her cutlass just as she heard a blow land, and cry of pain. "When I call for you, get Harry, and run," she said to Gil. He nodded. She knew she was asking a lot of him. The infamous Captain Hook terrified him, and with good reason. But Uma wasn't afraid. She hated Hook, and she used her anger to propel her forward into action. Brazenly, Uma walked into the dingy, deserted saloon to find Harry sprawled on a table, his face bloody and bruised, and his father prepared to deliver another brutal blow.

Harry saw Uma out of the corner of his right eye, his left was swollen shut from the last punch his father delivered. Through the pain, and the taste of blood, he was happy that Uma had come for him. Automatically, he reached out his right hand to her. That was the wrong move on his part. His father set the sharpened point of his hook to his skin, dragging it across his hand, opening his flesh and letting his blood flow. Harry cried out in agony.

Uma screamed in fury. While Hook was focused on his son, she lunged, putting her blade to his throat. "Stop! Unless you want to lose your head."

Captain Hook laughed, "You think I should be afraid of a little girl?"

Uma applied pressure, a thin line of crimson coating her polished blade. "If you have any hope of seeing tomorrow, then yes, you should be afraid of what I will do." She was not about to let a drunken, waste of oxygen like him hurt her Harry. "Let him up," Uma said very carefully. Captain Hook was taller than her, and she didn't have the strength to cleave his head from his shoulders, but she could open his throat and watch him bleed out, gasping for breath.

"Uma… run…" Harry gasped out. Next to the back of his hand throbbing from the pain, his ribs were screaming from the assault.

"Not a chance," Uma replied. "Gil! Get in here!"

Gil scurried inside, standing behind Uma. One of the people who truly terrified him was Harry's father.

"Get Harry and get out of here." Uma ordered, holding her ground.

"But…" Gil stammered, and then swallowed hard.

"Do it, Gil!" Uma snapped.

"No…" Harry coughed, "Uma, leave me here…"

"You'd never leave me," Uma said fiercely. Then, to his father she ordered, "Back away, slowly. Or, I will kill you now." She had the will, and the incentive to carry out her threat. If she trusted Hook, she'd make him swear to never harm his son again. But the pirate was a drunk, and a mean one. His word was worth less than the rum in his belly.

Gil went to Harry, pulling his left arm across his broad shoulders. He helped the younger Hook up so they could go to the door. Harry could barely walk without tripping over his own feet. If he was sure he wouldn't hurt him further, Gil would have put Harry over his shoulder and carried him out.

Harry staggered outside, with the aid of Gil. He wanted to charge back in there and get Uma, but couldn't. This beating hadn't been like all the others. It had been more savage, near to the point he was sure his father intended to kill him. Harry managed to pull away from Gil. "Go get her…" He started to fall forward, only Gil was there to hold him upright. "I told you…" Harry snarled.

"No offense, but I am more afraid of her at the moment, than I am of you…" Gil said quickly, keeping a tight grip on Harry. If more harm came to him, then Uma would turn her wrath of him next.

Inside, Uma took a step back, her sword tip still at the Captain's throat. She wouldn't put it past the man to draw his, and if that happened, she would scarcely stand a chance. He may be a drunk, but he was still a swordsman of the seven seas. Hook would cut her down without a second thought.

"What do you think will happen, girl?" Hook snarled. His anger rising in response to her interference. "Will you kill me for that whelp?"

Uma swallowed, choosing her words carefully, and made sure that when she spoke, he believed her to the very marrow of his bones. "I would turn you into shark bait just to ensure you never laid another hand on him."

"He's my son!" Hook shouted.

"He's your victim!" Uma screamed. No more; not while she had breath in her body. Harry would never know another cruelty that man could visit upon him. "Let this be a reminder…" Uma started to say. In a move she'd practiced many times, she slashed her sword across his face. Blood ran like a river down the front of him, and almost immediately, he dropped. His one good hand going to his face as he howled in pain. "Blood for blood," she spat, and then backed away. She kept her sword at the ready, moving backwards out of the doors. It gave her a small measure of satisfaction to know he was writhing on the floor in pain.

Once the saloon doors stopped swinging, Uma put her sword away, and went to Harry. She took his injured hand in hers, bringing his arm across her shoulders. To Gil she said, "We have to get him to the bungalow." Then to Harry she asked, "Can you make it that far?"

"For you, I'll do anything…" Harry said, and then his head lolled forward. He was starting to fade, his strength leaving him.

"Ok, ok, ok…" Uma wrapped her other arm around Harry's waist, and then with Gil, she started to move. Their steps were miss matched at first until the finally fell into sync with each other. Then, all they had to do was get to their home. It was far from where they were now. She hoped Harry would make it. All the blood painting his shirt, his face… It made her afraid. Uma didn't do fear very well.

Gil tried to take most of the burden of Harry's weight so that he could spare Uma. Silently they walked the streets, not bothering to pay attention to those who stopped to stare at them. Gil glared at them. He tried to look as imposing and intimidating as his father. No one ran away in fear, but they were shamed and immediately went back to what they were doing. At least they weren't far from the beach. Once they were walking on the sand, there would be less people gawk at them.

Uma felt she would crumble under the heavy weight of Harry. She was thankful to see their beach cottage come into view. She told herself to take five more steps, and then five more, until her foot was touching the bottom step and she was on the back deck. She left his side, reluctantly, to go to the sliding glass door of their bedroom. Behind her, Gil helped Harry inside, and got him to sit on the corner of the bed. "Gil, go to town, get bandages and medicine," she ordered.

"Anything else?" Gil started to back away.

"No, just go!" Uma yelled.

"But, don't you need help with him?" Gil asked.

"I've got this," Uma said, tossing him a wad of money. "Get what medicine you can, and hurry."

"I'll be back soon," Gil promised, and then he was out the door, running back the way they had come.

Once he was gone, Uma shut the door, and then turned to Harry. She stood before him, tilting his head back to inspect the damage done to him by his father. His lip was split, his left eye swollen shut, and his right cheek had small parallel cuts. She took his left hand next; the knuckles were red, which meant he put up a fight. His right hand would have to be bandaged, but luckily he didn't need any stitches. Next, she took his sleeveless long coat off of him, letting it pool behind him on the bed. She tenderly felt his ribs. When he groaned in pain, she stopped instantly. "Oh, Harry…" Tears came to her eyes. She wanted to take his pain.

"It's alright, love," Harry gasped out.

"Why did he do this?" Uma asked, crouching down in front of him. She started with his boots, unlacing them, and then setting them against the wall. Next came his shirt, and what she saw beneath the ripped white and black fabric had her heart breaking. His chest was mottled black and blue.

Harry lifted his arms over his head, the action complete agony for him to endure. "He doesn't need a reason anymore…" He dropped back to the bed, grateful not to be sitting up any longer. Mutedly he listened to Uma moving about their modest little haven. Then he heard water running. Harry could barely keep his one good eye open. He was tired, and he needed sleep so he could start to heal.

Uma gathered what bandages she had. Then she heated some water and got a cloth so that she could clean the blood off of him. When she came back to the bedroom, he was lying down, his chest rising and falling slowly. That told her he was asleep, and she hated that her ministrations might wake him. But it had to be done, or else she would risk his wounds getting infected. So, she started with his right hand. Carefully, she wiped the blood away, and cleaned out what dirt had made its way into the cut. Mercifully, Harry wasn't roused from his slumber. Uma took a bandage roll, and bound his hand.

Uma crawled on the bed behind Harry, bring his head into her lap. This time, the movement made him groan, but his eyes remained shut. While he slept, she cleaned the blood off of his face. She was grateful to see that his split wasn't as bad as it looked, and neither were the small cuts to his cheek. Tears streaked down her face seeing his beautiful face bloodied and bruised. Lovingly, she stroked his brow, and waited for Gil to come back.

 **SUNSET:**

Gil had been frantic, running around town looking for the supplies Uma needed. He finally got the bandages he needed, and what little medicine he could, which consisted of alcohol to disinfect the cuts. The only pain relief he could steal was laudanum. It was little better than whacking him over the head with a mallet, but it would have to do. When he made it back to the cottage Uma and Harry shared, she was pacing back and forth, and Harry was in the middle of the bed, the covers drawn up to his chest. He opened the door, gaining her attention. "How is he?"

"Sleeping," Uma answered in a voice barely above a whisper.

Gil handed her the satchel, "This was all I could get." Medical care on the Isle wasn't as good as it would be if they were in Auradon. They may have technology, but on the Isle, sometimes it was like they were still in the middle ages.

"It's ok," Uma said, touching his cheek lightly. "You did great."

"Can… I uh…" Gil glanced at Harry on the bed. "Can I stay?" He didn't want to be far from them, should Uma need him to fetch anything else, and he didn't want to go home. His father was gone… again.

"Sure, the couch is always yours." Uma touched his shoulder, and then waited for him to head into the other room before going to Harry. She unpacked the supplied from the satchel, instantly grimacing at the sight of the small bottle of rum. Uma knew she needed it to clean the cut to Harry's hand. It was about time for it to be cleaned again anyway. She brought his hand into her lap, and unwrapped the bandage. When she got down to the wound, she was pleased to see that it wasn't bleeding, but that didn't change the fact she had to disinfect the wound.

Uma waited a moment before upending the bottle of rum onto the clean rag. She knew the moment the alcohol touched his would, it would jolt him awake. "Harry, I'm sorry, but this is going to hurt," she said, somehow trying to make herself feel better for causing him more pain. Then, taking a deep breath, she set to work.

Harry had felt himself waking up when a severe burning sensation cleared away the rest of the sleep from his body. He opened his eyes, groaning in discomfort. It was there he saw her sitting by him, tending his wounds. Uma was taking care of him. "Uma...?"

"Shh…" Uma stopped what she was doing and looked at him. "I know it hurts, but I have to clean the wound."

"Don't…" Harry gasped out. His chest felt so heavy, and his ribs were screaming with each small breath he took.

"Harry, stop it." Uma ordered. "You've taken care of me more times than I can count. It's my turn to take care of you." Even before they met Gil, Harry had been the one to protect her from Mal's cruelty, from other children, and on occasion he spared her the neglect of her mother. He was the one she could truly rely on no matter what. Now, it was time for her to repay him in kind.

Harry lifted his left hand so that he might caress her cheek, but he could only reach one of her braids. Never the less, her took it between his index finger and thumb, rubbing it back and forth. "I don't deserve you…"

"You don't deserve to be beaten by your father," Uma said strongly. "And I'm exactly what you deserve, because I'll protect you no matter what." She tossed the rag away, and wrapped his hand again to protect it from dirt and germs.

Harry needed to feel her against him; it didn't matter the amount of pain that he would feel. He pulled her down to his side, her head rest on his chest. A pain filled gasp escaped him when he tried to keep it contained.

Uma wanted to pull away, "Harry, I'm hurting you." She wanted to get up, but he was holding her so gently that it broke her heart. Even suffering from his injuries he just wanted her by his side. Sometimes, it was he who didn't deserve him. Uma didn't know what she did in this life to get him, but she was glad he was with her. There would be nothing she wouldn't do for Harry Hook.

"For you, my pain means very little just as long as you're by my side." Harry whispered. His eyes were getting heavy again, sleep wouldn't be far away. Secure in the knowledge that Uma was near, he let slumber take him.

THE END


	3. Chapter 3

**SUMMARY:** Harry doesn't know how to lift Uma's spirits

 **DISCLAIMER:** I own nothing of Descendants.

 **RATING:** T

 **PAIRING:** Harry/Uma

 **A/N:** And another chapter came to mind.

 **BEATEN NOT BROKEN:**

Uma knew she had been gone for nearly two weeks. The chip shop – as Harry called it—was dirtier than ever, and dishes were piled nearly to the ceiling. For the first time in her life, she didn't care. Harry had needed her. He was still healing from the violent attack by his father. As for Captain Hook, none on the Isle had seen him. Uma smirked at that. The drunkard was more than likely holed up somewhere, licking his wounds like the coward he was.

Uma sighed, and set to work on the dishes. While she was at the sink, she let herself feel sad. The King had called her a leader. Right now, she didn't feel much like one. She couldn't protect anyone she cared for. She couldn't protect Harry. In a fit of anger, she hurled a cast iron skillet across the room. It collided with the wall, plaster and paint cracked. She screamed and kicked the bottom cupboard until her foot throbbed in pain, and then she kicked it a few more times.

Just then a tentacle wrapped around Uma's waist, shaking her violently, constricting her to the point she could hardly draw a deep breath. _"Knock it off!"_ She was flung against the same cabinets she had been kicking. A cry of pain filled the air of the kitchen. Uma coughed and her back howled in pain. When she could pick her head up, she saw her mother walking out of the back room. She coughed again, her eyes closing, and her head lowering.

Ursula, the infamous Sea Witch, looked down on her daughter with intense disapproval. Uma had had a chance to bring down the barrier, and she even had a chance to kill the King. Instead, the little urchin had decided to return to the Isle. "You have the nerve to be angry?" she spat, stalking closer to the little wretch on the floor. "You failed on your own."

Uma looked up again, pushing herself to her knee's, and then using the counter, she pulled herself up to stand face to face with her mother. "You're right, I failed… just like you." It felt good to throw that in her mother's face. Prince Eric and Princess Ariel had defeated the mighty Ursula years ago. Uma had been paying the price for it all her life. A tentacle shot out, slapping her across the mouth. The hit was hard enough that she tasted blood. She wouldn't allow it to break her, not like it had so many other times.

"Why, I ought to…" Ursula raised her tentacle again, preparing to strike Uma again.

"Go ahead," Uma sneered, and then spat a mouthful of blood on the floor. "It won't change the fact I loathe you."

Ursula was frozen on the spot. That was the first time her child had said such words to her.

Uma kept on, "You have been blaming me for your failure ever since I was old enough to understand you. I'm not the reason you couldn't de-scale one pathetic princess. That was all you. You went too far, too fast, and you have no one to blame but yourself." Uma ripped off her apron and threw it at her mother. "I'm done being your punching bag."

While he mother stood there digesting her venomous words, Uma made quick work of getting away from her. She was at the sword check, reclaiming her cutlass when instinct told her to duck. A tentacle shot over her head, but didn't recoil. She looked up to find Harry standing there, with the offending appendage in his grasp.

"Harry?" Uma asked, standing up. She had to get out of the way, when her mother struggled to get free.

"Come on, love," Harry jerked his head, signaling Uma should stand behind him. She had saved him from his father. It was his turn to save her from the sea witch.

Uma tried not to let her love for Harry show on her face. Everything was a weapon someone could use against them. "Harry, it's done…" she said resting her hand against his arm.

"Not quite yet, it's not," Harry winked at her as he freed his sword. In much the same was Uma had mutilated his father's face, he would get his pound of flesh from Ursula. "You ever hurt her again, and next time I won't stop…" Harry brought the blade down, severing a good chunk of tentacle. Ursula howled, and Harry dropped the freshly cut meat to the floor here it flopped around. He reached behind him, touching Uma's side, urging her to walk back through the swinging doors. "Let's get out of here."

Uma was stunned by the sight of her mother retreating, and of the severed tentacle flipping about like a fish out of water on a dock. She was even more surprised that Harry had done that… for her. Once they were outside, she pulled him to a stop. His face was still black and blue, with the edges a sickly yellow that told her his wounds were healing. "Why did you do that?"

"Because I can't stand the way she treats you," Harry answered. He'd asked her the very same question the first time she faced off against his father. "You mutilated my father's face. I thought it only fitting I do the same to her."

Mindful of his injuries, Uma threw her arms over his shoulders, and held him close. She never expected him to come to her rescue. She believed she wasn't worth saving. But Harry had saved her. He showed her that she was worthy. Then she said words that she had only ever thought, "I love you, Harry." It was the single reason the spell she put on Ben hadn't been strong enough. She was in love – honest, true love – with another. Harry Hook had her heart. He made her believe that today.

Harry lifted Uma against him, spinning her around. He didn't care that the pressure he was putting on his ribs was making it impossible for him to breathe. She had just said she loved him. She, who was the single brightest ray of sunlight in his life. Setting her down, he rested his brow to hers, "I love you too!" He didn't care that people on the dock were staring at them. All that mattered to him was Uma. She was the only thing in his life that he wanted to protect.

Uma felt every good emotion she had swelling inside her, tightening her chest, and making her heart pound. "We can't stay on the Isle," she said and he nodded in confirmation. They were in love and this was no place for them. Here, love was a weakness. Love would get them killed, or worse.

Harry looked around again, people were starting to pay more attention to them. Leaning down, placing his lips close to her ear he whispered, "Then let's go pack a bag and escape." He took her hand, pulling her with him as he set off towards their home.

At their house, Uma shoved clothes and a few mementos into a large duffle while Harry did the same thing. She zipped her bag and set it on the bed to wait while he finished his packing. They were only taking one bag, and soon enough he was finished. Harry took a seat next to her and took her hand again.

"What about Gil?" Harry asked.

"You wanna take him with us?" Uma looked at him, slightly surprised by his sudden sentiment. Actually, she had been thinking about how to broach the subject with him.

"If we can't stay, then neither can he," Harry replied.

"I know…" Uma sighed.

"Then let's go get him." Harry stood up, pulling her from the bed. It was time their fortunes changed, and he knew how to make that happen. No one but he knew where a small chest of gold was buried on this island. His father had buried it, and Harry was going to steal it. Then, he was going to take Uma to small, out of the way cove where he had a boat, and knew a way off the island. It had taken him time to violently persuade Smee to give him the location of the fissure in the magical barrier that his father had been using. It would be their escape.

 **TWO HOURS LATER:**

Gil had gotten word from one of the other wharf rats that harry and Uma wanted him to pack and bag and meet him on the far side of the island where a small little cove was. When he set foot on the sand, he didn't see Uma or Harry. "Hey guys! I'm here!" he called out. "Guys!" Gill shouted again. Hefting his bag, he walked further out and just like that the scenery changed. A sloop was tethered to a rock protruding from the water. "What the…?"

"Gil, stop gawking and get over here!" Uma stepped out of a small cave with her bag, and Harry right behind her. "We gotta go right now." She started to walk into the water towards the boat.

Harry went over to Gil, "This is our chance at freedom, mate, and we're going to take it."

"Ok, but what about the barrier?" Gil asked following Harry into the water after Uma.

"Don't worry about that," Harry answered. When he got to the small life boat, he tossed his bag in, and used his good hand to heft himself over the side.

Gil followed suit, getting over the side easier than Harry had because both of his hands were unhurt. "So… where are we going?"

 **AURADON:**

Ben was taking a day off, spending time using a telescope that had been a gift. Mal was sitting close by reading a book. They were just enjoying life and the beautiful day. He was scanning the water between Auradon and the Isle when something caught his eye. "Hey, Mal, can you come here for a minute?"

"Sure," Mal said, setting her book aside before she got up to go to him. "What's up?"

Ben pointed in the general direction of what he'd seen, "What does that look like to you?"

Mal looked in the telescope, and used her enhanced dragon vision to see better. "It Uma, Harry, and Gil."

"Are you sure?" Ben asked.

Mal pulled back, letting him see her dragon eyes, "Pretty sure, yeah…."

 **BEACH:**

Gil jumped into the water, taking the line to haul the boat to the shore. Out of the three of them, he was the only one not injured, and getting a little wet wasn't much to him. Gil's boots dug into the sand, giving him traction but he stopped when he saw King Ben and Mal. "Uma…"

Uma sat up, her body aching from the constrictor hold her mother had given her earlier. Drawing on her strength of will, she stepped over the side, holding Gil's offered her hand. It was taking all she had to remain upright and not succumb to the days punishment. Her head was ringing like a bell still.

Harry was the last to get out, and like Uma, he did his best to look strong but non-threatening. Then again, it was hard to look threatening when most of his face was bruised and littered with cuts. It had been two weeks since his father's brutal beating, but he wasn't completely healed. "Are we sure about this?" he asked lightly.

"We can't go back," Uma replied. "Our parents will retaliate and we won't survive." She stayed in the water with Harry, and lowered her voice even more. "Harry, we don't have to stay in Auradon. We can go anywhere…"

"I'll follow you anywhere," Harry replied.

Mal couldn't wait any longer, "How did you three get off the Isle?"

Uma turned her attention to Mal, with Harry holding her hand, but when she answered, she was looking at King Ben. "Don't send us back…" then gritting her teeth, she added, "… please." She and Harry left the water and stood next to Gil. The day light highlighted all the bruises Harry had, and the one that was starting to show on her.

Ben couldn't believe what he was seeing. Both Harry and Uma were injured; the son of Hook seemingly more so. This was not the Uma he had met a few months ago, and neither was Harry. Gil, unfortunately, still seemed the same. The truth of the Isle finally hit him. He looked to Mal, and the pain he saw in her eyes told him all he needed to know. Even when she glanced away from him.

Mal took this time to set aside all that had transpired between her and Uma. She stood in front of her foe, seeing just what she had been so desperate to get away from. "I had no idea, Uma…"

Uma scoffed, the action made her ribs hurt. "Yeah, you did."

"I didn't know how bad it had gotten," Mal tried again. Her mother certainly hadn't been a barrel of laughs, but she never had to fear her mother would strike her out of anger. It was only her disappointment and verbal put downs she had to contend with.

"If you have to send me back, fine, but let Harry and Gil stay." Uma would pay the price if only they could stay safe.

"Uma! No!" Gil and Harry shouted at the same time.

Ben stepped in then, "You don't have to go back." He touched Mal on the shoulder, and then he continued on, "We'll get you a place to stay, and get your injuries looked at." If he was going to be a good, fair King, then he needed to take care of his people, and not just those in Auradon, but the ones from the Isle. It was a lesson he never knew he needed to learn until it almost cost him Mal; the love of his life.

 **AURADON PREP:**

 **INFIRMARY:**

Uma sat on a gurney, gritting her teeth as she was poked and prodded. Her eye kept flitting over to Harry, watching as his mangled hand was getting tended to. The fair-haired girl tending to her, poked too hard making her yelp.

"How you've managed to stay conscious is beyond me. You've got multiple fractures to your ribs, almost as if you were wrapped up by a boa constrictor. And you've got a nasty bump on the back of your head."

"Yeah, funny that…" Uma scoffed. She looked over at the fairy godmother as she was tending harry. "How's his hand?"

The Fairy Godmother shook her head, grumbling, as she re-opened the wound on Harry Hook's hand. To his credit, he didn't so much as flinch. It made her heart ache to know he had built up such a tolerance to pain. "What was used to clean this wound in the first place?" she asked.

"Rum," Harry shrugged his left shoulder. "It was all she could get her hands on."

"Medicine isn't all it's cracked up to be on the Isle," Uma added as she shooed away the one fussing about her. She got off the bed so she could go and sit next to Harry. It made her fidgety when there was space between them.

Out in the corridor, Ben stood with Mal when his parents came striding towards them. He stepped away, his hands held up to forestall any protests they could give. "Let's not do this here," he said gently. There was no need to cause an alarm, and risk Uma doing something drastic to protect Harry.

"So, it's true then," Belle spoke to her son, but she was looking at Mal. There was a sadness in the girl's eyes that she didn't understand. Then Belle went to the partially closed door where she saw a young man, his face battered and bruised. The sight of it had her backing up into the arms of her husband. "Oh, that poor young man. Who is he?"

"That's Harry, son of Hook," Mal answered. There had always been rumors on the Isle that Hook beat his son, but until today she always thought they were idle gossip. Then there was Uma, and the bruise darkening her jaw. The weight of that knowledge settled inside her, ramping up her guilt. She felt sorry for the cruelty she had visited upon Uma when they'd been kids. That had been Mal lashing out, trying to make herself feel powerful.

"His father beat him?" Beast asked.

"We think so," Ben answered. "We haven't had the nerve to ask, and they haven't said much beyond asking not to be sent back. That pretty much confirms our suspicions though."

Belle made a move towards the door, but her son shook his head. She had no idea that such horrors could have happened on the Isle. At the time, all Beast had wanted to do was make Auradon safe for them, for their children. She never thought about the children of the villains suffering in such a manner.

"I've agreed to let Uma, Harry, and Gil stay." Ben informed his parents. He was King now, and he had the ability to take care of people. That's what he was going to do. The other children he had brought over from the Isle, the ones from Evie's list, all of them were assimilating better than he thought they would. If anything, they breathed new life into Auradon.

"Son…" Beast began.

Belle interrupted, "If you think this is the right course, then we won't oppose it." She cast a sidelong pain filled glance to her husband. He took her hand and nodded.

"Excuse me," Mal said, and headed back into the room. This time she shut the door.

Uma looked over at Mal, and resisted an urge to sneer. She knew what she was giving up to come to Auradon, to make sure Harry would never be hurt again, or to ensure Gil was never left alone.

Fairy Godmother taped the bandage down on the young man's hand. "You'll want to keep it dry for the next couple of days. Then come back here, and we'll have another look. If all goes well, there won't even be a scar."

"It wouldn't matter if there was," Harry shrugged his left shoulder, resigned to the fact that there would be yet another mark left from his father's abusive hand. With his left hand, he reached over to take Uma's. The one good thing about being in Auradon was that he didn't have to hide how he felt about her. He could freely take her hand, or smile at her, or kiss her cheek when he wanted.

"Alrighty then," Fair Godmother smiled, changing the topic. "We'll get you and the other boy settled in the dorm, and…"

"No," Uma snapped. "I'm not staying anywhere that isn't with Harry and Gil." She wasn't prepared to be without them at least sleeping in the same room with her. She needed to hear them breathing, feel the presence of them in the same room with her.

"That's not how we do things here," Fairy Godmother stated in a huff.

Mal jumped in, "Let me take care of this, Fairy Godmother. I'll see everything is sorted out, and they know the rules." Then she cast a warning glance to Uma, and shook her head slightly, signaling her to be silent for a few seconds.

"Very well dear," Fairy Godmother patted Mal on the shoulder, trusting her. She went to the door, and left.

Uma stood up, her hand still in Harry, "I'll tell you, like I told her…"

Mal turned, "Stop." She could see Uma was winding herself up for a fight. "You won't be separated from them. I know how important that is. When I came here, I had Evie to share a room with. They don't understand the bond we Isle kids have to forge with others. That's why, I'm having Gil take your things to a cottage on the school grounds. There's enough room for all three of you."

"Why are you doing this?" Harry asked. "You could go back on your word and send us back to the Isle. It's what you should do."

"You're right Harry, it's what I should do, but Ben made a promise to Uma. You're here to stay." Mal said. It pained her to see him in such a state. When they had been kids, he'd been the roughest, toughest wharf rat. The truth was never easy to deal with.

 **SIX MONTHS LATER:**

Ben and Mal walked the grounds of Auradon Prep, reveling in their time together. Others ran about to and fro, going from activity to the next. The flurry of motion was a comfort to Mal. It was a different type of madness than what she had experienced on the Isle. Being in Auradon was better, life changing. She had Ben, and she had Evie, Carlos, and Jay. This was home now.

As the continued on their way, Mal saw Uma and Harry lightly dozing under an oak tree. In the six months since they'd been here, they hadn't caused trouble, or broken any rules. But they hadn't gone out of their way to make friends with others. Gil was the only one of the trio that accepted being in Auradon Prep to the fullest extent he could. He took to sports like Jay had.

Ben looked in the same direction Mal was, seeing what shew as seeing. "Do you think they'll ever come around?"

"It's not that simple Ben," Mal said. "Uma and Harry, they have this bond that was forged out of mutual pain and terror. Without knowing it, I played a part in bringing them together. I was so cruel to her when we were kids. It was the only way I knew to be..." If she thought it would change things, Mal would apologize to Uma, but there was too much hurt between them for that to ever work.

"It's all different now. They can be whatever they want to be." Ben said. "They don't have isolate themselves from everyone here." More than a few times he'd tried to engage Uma in friendly conversation, but she wouldn't talk to him, and neither would Harry. He was at a loss as how to incorporate them into the life that was here.

"That's how they feel safe, Ben," Mal stopped, turning to face him. "On the Isle, they had to appear cold and indifferent – evil – to survive. Weakness was exploited, and love on the Isle is the greatest weakness of all. They would have been at the mercy of anyone who had the guts to use their relationship against them."

"So, why has Gil flourished here?" Ben asked gently. He was actually friendly with the Son of Gaston, which surprised him greatly.

"Gil hates being alone. Being here is the best thing that could have happened to him. It's true Gaston never beat his son, never verbally abused him. Gil was fed, and clothed, but Gaston would leave him on his own for weeks at a time. During one of these long absences, Gil followed Harry and Uma to a beach cottage they lived in. After she let him sleep on the couch, he never left them." Mal had tasked Evie with finding out all she could about Uma, Harry, and Gil. Evie was better at getting others to talk than she was.

"So, what do I do?" Ben asked, genuinely interested in the answers Mal could give him. She lived that life, knew what it meant to be cruel, and she knew the toll it took on the human spirit.

"Give them time. They're battling demons that were inflicted on them by their parents," Mal replied. "Believe me, I know how they feel, but I have you to help me heal." She glanced over at the pair of pirates and said, "When they're ready, they'll open up, but only when they're ready."

 **THE END:**

 **A/N:** I know I said the last couple of times, that this story was over and done with. Well, this time I absolutely mean it. I wanted Uma and Harry to be safe and together and in Auradon, but only on their terms. Thanks for reading!


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